


Crisis: Girlfriend

by perperuna



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, I mean, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, kind of, they are laying in the same bed at the same time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 23:52:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17131058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perperuna/pseuds/perperuna
Summary: Ben had been in love with Rey for over a year when he asked her to go with him to his ex’s wedding as his date and ‘girlfriend’.





	Crisis: Girlfriend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [walkingsaladshooter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkingsaladshooter/gifts).



> Hey, hi, hello!  
> An end of the year fic for Reylo Fanfiction Anthology Exchange.  
> It's the biggest piece I've ever written, so I'm pretty proud of myself, even if this fic changed conceptions so many times I lost count.  
> Thank you to my wonderful beta [bunilicious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunilicious) for checking it for all the mistakes and for making this gorgeous moodboard for me ♥  
> The prompt was Fake-Dating and there was a bed-sharing too ;)  
> Hope you'll enjoy! ♥

 

The moment he saw the king sized bed he knew this was a really bad idea. Faking a relationship with a girl he was crushing on wasn't his best idea also, but it was just for three days and they could move on.

But he never actually thought about sharing a bed with her. And the room didn’t have any other furniture that he could sleep on instead, because sure as hell he won’t be sleeping in the armchair.

They are adults, they can do it? Right?

Rey put down her bag on a bed and looked around the small room they were assigned to. It wasn’t impressive, but that wasn’t important. It was clean and the bed looked comfortable. Most of the time they will spend outside, so really, he didn’t need any luxuries. But he could have at least predicted that by coming to this wedding with his ‘girlfriend’ they would end up in a room with only one bed.

‘It’s starting to look like all those bed-sharing tropes in the fics that Rose loves to read so much,’ murmured Rey. She tried not to laugh at Ben’s expression at her statement.

‘I have no idea what you are talking about,’ he answered.

Rose was Rey’s friend, and he had talked to her just a few times over the last year.

Rey was a different case. They met each other through his childhood best friend, Poe, two years ago, and she charmed him with her beautiful smile and cheerful personality from the start. And now, two years later, he was very much in love with her but was sure that for her he was just one of her friends.

Nothing more.

Sometimes he thought that he saw her sending him looks that he couldn’t decipher, but he was sure that she wasn’t interested in him, even if Poe was always teasing him, telling him that they were both idiots and he just loved seeing them walk around each other.

‘We are both adults, so I’m sure we will go through it easily,’ Rey smiled at him and then murmured something to herself he couldn’t hear at all. He didn’t take notice that much. Rey liked to murmur to herself a lot.

‘I’m sure you’re right. From what Jess told me, the reception starts at 4 pm tomorrow, so we have a lot of time to ourselves.’ Ben came closer to the bed and left his bag on the right side of it.’Do you want to freshen up now or I can use the bathroom?’

‘You go. I have to call Finn to tell him that we are safe and sound’, Rey took her phone and left the room.

Ben was sitting on the bed with a book in his hand when Rey came back. He already changed into more casual clothing, as he was sure that he won’t be leaving this room tonight. It was already late afternoon and he wasn’t all that keen to go down to the restaurant where he could stumble upon Jess, who could start asking questions about him, Rey and all these years they didn’t see each other. He painted a pretty picture over the phone but wasn’t ready to face her in person. Not until tomorrow, where she could be busy with her own wedding.

He really started to regret that he agreed to come. Even if that meant spending over two days with Rey.

‘Oh, you already changed? I ran into Jess in the hallway and she invited us to the restaurant downstairs in an hour. She’s a really nice girl. You sure, you’re okay being here? You know, she’s your actual ex-girlfriend. It had to be weird? I think? I don’t know if I could go to my ex’s wedding actually.’ Rey rambled while unpacking the dress she brought for the wedding.

It was a really beautiful dress and Ben couldn’t wait to see her in it. He was sure she would look just fantastic. Even if he thought that she looked amazing in old ratty hoodie and sweatpants.

‘Breaking up was our best decision. I didn’t see it that way back then, but I was a different person. Now I can see that she deserved more I could give her and yes, it’s weird, a little, but I’m happy for her. She’s happy and in love and I’m in a better place now.’

Ben didn’t want to dwell on his problems and how he had to change his therapist three times before he settled on Amilyn, who helped him tremendously.

‘That’s good. I don’t know you that long but I like the person you are, even if sometimes I want to strangle you’ Rey grinned at him. Ben chuckled at her admission not wanting to show her how her words about liking him affected him. He really needed to get a grip. They had two nights sleeping next to each other before them.

‘Yes, I know, I’m an asshole. It’s not the discovery of the year.’

‘I don’t know if the asshole is the right word, actually. It doesn’t sound right. More like a grump I would say.’

‘I’m not grumpy. I can be a very cheerful person. It’s just I don’t want to as people annoy me most of the time.’

Rey's laugh sounded like the best melody in his ears and that he was the one that made her laugh was something hard for him to describe. If she could find him funny then he wasn’t all that bad.

‘Do I annoy you?’, she asked happily even if her eyes lost the cheerful glint. He felt like his answer was very important to her. Rey liked meeting new people and was always friendly to everyone not caring about what others thought about her, but Ben had a feeling that it was mostly a facade.

‘Never. You are actually one of the few people that I actually enjoy spending time with.’ His answer was honest and it was the closest to revealing his feelings he felt comfortable with.

Rey blushed and Ben decided that he really liked the sight of it on her face.

‘That’s the nicest thing you ever said to me.’ Rey looked down sheepishly before she looked in his eyes again. ‘Is the wedding spirit just getting to you?’

‘Haha, no. I’m just trying to be honest. I’m not always the asshole everyone seems to think,’ he winked at her, then remembered something she said earlier. ‘So what did you say to Jess? Are we going to this dinner or not?’

‘Oh, I forgot about it. I told her that we’ll be there. I hope I didn’t overstep, but she was so nice about it and she really seemed as she wanted to us to be there. Plus we could try to practice our ‘relationship’ in a much smaller crowd.’

‘That’s actually a really good idea.’

Ben got out of bed and with a change of clothes headed to the bathroom. Rey sat down waiting for him to be done.

‘So, we met through Poe and became fast friends. After a few months, I decided to come forward and ask you out, because I was sick of pining after your sorry ass and you agreed to go on a date with me and we have been together ever since. Should be easy,’ Rey recalled what they agreed upon. Nothing too complicated and the closest to the truth as they could.

Ben left the bathroom dressed in a burgundy button-up shirt and black jeans. Rey almost sighed at the sight. He was too damn handsome and she wished she was that brave like in the story they both came up with.

‘Yeah, I think it’s good. Nothing too hard and Jess knows Poe, so she’ll totally believe that I met you through his hyper-social skills.’ He smiled at her, pocketed his phone and looked at her expectantly.

Rey reached out for a room key and got up to go after the man. They had a bunch of people to show that they are happy and in love.

 

***

 

The table was prepared for around ten people when Ben and Rey arrived at the hotel restaurant. They were the last to come and Ben knew half of the people sitting there.

Jess was grinning at everyone, clearly happy with a very pleasant looking man by her side, who looked at her like she was the goddess herself. Ben really felt happy for her. Jess was his first love and he wasn’t in love with her for a quite some time now, but she deserved the best. And he knew now that they weren’t meant to be. Not then, with how he was.

‘Ben! Rey! So happy to see you! Josh, please met Ben Solo and his girlfriend, Rey Kenobi. Ben, Rey, this is my future husband, Josh Monroe.’ Josh smiled at him widely and shook his hand. After a few more pleasantries and introducing Rey to everyone at the table, they all sat down.

‘So, Ben, I didn't see you in so long. What are you doing now?’ asked Jess after they all placed their orders to the waiter.

‘I’m a lawyer, specializing in criminal law.’

‘Oh, wow. So you are working with victims or defending the bad guys?’, the guy sitting next to Josh perked up at Ben’s answer.

‘Snap!’, both Jess and Josh hissed at him. He looked at her with a serious surprise.

‘What? I’m just curious. Did you?’

Ben felt all the eyes on himself now.

‘Actually, I did. At my first law firm after college, but after two years, I wasn’t in a good place and all my cases didn’t help at all, so I left. Now I’m working in a firm with a very good opinion and sending bad guys to prison.’

‘That’s good for you. I can’t imagine defending a person that I know it’s bad. And you, Rey? You met at work?’ Jess’ question was filled with genuine curiosity.

‘Oh, no. I’m an engineering student at NU. We actually met through Poe, who advertised him so much. I was actually a little disappointed when we met after all those stories, but then he grew on me.’

Her response was met with few chuckles, and even Ben felt the joy. It wasn’t a lie. Poe really did exaggerate when he was talking about him before he finally met his friends.

‘You are still friends with Poe?

‘Against my better judgment…’ he murmured. His friendship with Poe was still a surprise for him, but as much as he drove him mad, Poe was like a brother to him.

‘That’s amazing! I always liked him. Is he still the center of attention everywhere he goes?’

‘Yes’, Ben and Rey answered simultaneously.

‘It’s kind of amazing watching him thrive in all the social interactions,’ she added.

‘More like annoying’

‘Don’t be rude,’ Rey told him.

‘I’m not. And you’ll never convince me that you don’t want to strangle him at least half the time.’

‘More like all the time.’

‘Are you both always like this?’ their conversation was interrupted by a woman sitting next to Jess’ sister.

He looked at Rey in confusion and saw the same expression in her face.

‘Like what?’ he asked finally.

‘You just kind of forgot about all of us, which was fascinating to watch. How long are you together?’

Ah, this. He and Rey were actually pretty good at ignoring other people, which wasn’t polite, they knew, but it happened very often.

‘About six months now, but we were friends over a year before that.’ Rey smiled at Ben affectionately. Her eyes were shining with happiness and Ben could almost believe that she really was in love with him. In response, he took her hand in his and kissed her palm without taking his eyes off her. He felt pride when he saw her cheeks getting pink. Maybe this wedding won’t be this bad at all? He had an excuse to touch her and look at her with admiration.

After a few seconds, she looked away and smiled at Jess who was looking at them with curiosity.

‘But, this weekend is not about us. How did you two meet?’ Rey asked.

Few people chuckled at her question and Jess sent her fiancé a cheeky grin.  

‘Grocery store. Our meeting was not romantic at all. I was having one of the bad days and just wanted some candy and ice cream to lift me up and he had the audacity to take the last bag of M&Ms just before my eyes.’ Her offended tone caused the whole table to laugh.’We started arguing and I know that he thought I was crazy, screaming at him over a candy. The security had to walk us out of the store. He was so confused with all this…’

‘I didn’t know if I wanted to kill her or marry her, so I asked her out after she calmed down a little. She didn't expect that at all and in all this craziness she agreed to go on a date with me.’ Josh threw his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

‘Aww,’ Rey cooed at the happy couple. ‘Meet-cute at its finest.’

The conversation was flowing around and Ben felt so much joy with all the happiness around him. And it did help that he had an arm thrown around Rey’s chair and she didn’t shy away from touching him every now and then. It was almost like they were a real couple enjoying a pre-wedding dinner with friends.

It was something he could get used to.

 

***

 

‘I just can’t believe that you could just get a boombox and play a song under Jess’ window because she wanted the most cliche gesture from you. I would totally piss my pants if I saw any man doing something like this for me.’

Rey entered their room laughing her ass off at the stories Jess decided to share with her. Ben wasn’t mad. He was a teenager then and teenagers are very good at making stupid things like that. And it made Rey laugh and he could listen to this sound all the time.

He closed the door and took off his shoes. Rey was already barefoot and poking through her bag, looking for something to sleep in.

‘We all did stupid things for love. And I was an overly dramatic teenager.’

‘That I can believe.’ Rey grinned at him. Then, she took her pyjamas and went straight to the bathroom. ‘Be right back.’

Taking advantage of Rey being in the bathroom, he took his shirt and pants off and changed into his sleeping clothes. After the dinner, he was tired and just wanted to go sleep. He was hoping that his tiredness will help him sleep and not think about Rey laying beside him.

When he saw her emerging from the bathroom in really short shorts and simple white top, he knew it won’t be that easy.

‘You know, I think we were really good as a couple. I would believe us’, she said, slipping under the covers.

‘Yeah, I agree. And it does help that we are actual friends that know each other very well, so we can be very convincing’.

Ben lay down on his side facing Rey who was laying in her back. It would be so easy to tell her the truth about his feelings. After the dinner, where it was so natural to act as her boyfriend, he knew that he needed to tell her. Pining after a girl for over a year was already pathetic and they were really alone right now, without the threat of Poe showing up unannounced. He was really talented at cockblocking.

If she didn’t feel the same, it will be one very awkward wedding date tomorrow, but he couldn’t wait. Not anymore.

‘Rey?’ She faced him with a gentle smile on her face. ‘Tell me, if you liked someone, very much, but wasn’t sure if he feels the same, would you tell him about your feelings, or just wait for him to make the first move?’

Rey didn’t answer immediately. She gave him a look he couldn’t decipher at all.

‘I don’t know, Ben. Do you like someone?’ Her question took him by surprise, but he decided to be honest. He wanted to know her feelings.

‘I do. And she’s awesome and we are really good friends, but I don’t know if she likes me back’, his voice was really quiet in the room. He heard Rey hitch a breath, but she didn't say anything.

After a few moments of silence, he started to regret telling her about his feelings. He didn’t know if she guessed that he had talked about her, as she was his only female friend, or if she was thinking about how to gently turn him down.

‘Ben, I-...I’m pretty sure she likes you back’, she finally answered.

A few seconds later, he felt a delicate hand palming his cheek. He was pretty sure he heard her saying ‘I hope I’m getting it right’ before he felt her soft lips on his own.

He froze.

It was like a dream come true. He tried to collect his thoughts but he knew that it was a fruitless battle. He moved out of his lethargy the moment Rey started to move away from him.

‘I’m sor-’, Ben didn’t let her finish before he kissed her back. He wanted to show her that she was right. That he talked about her.

He cupped her face in his hand and slightly rolled over her without breaking a kiss. He felt like the happiest man alive at this moment and he never wanted this moment to pass.

She pulled out to catch a breath and he nuzzled his nose into her neck.

‘Ben, I-...’

He lifted his head and look at her face covered in a pretty blush.

‘How long?’, she asked after a few moments of staring at each other.

‘About a year. You?’

‘Same. And to think that we could just talk earlier. Poe was right calling us idiots’, she laughed and Ben couldn’t hold his own mirth anymore.

‘For once, he was actually right. I just can imagine how much more annoying he’ll become if he founds out about this’.

Rey groaned in response.

‘This time I think I will actually kill him. And I’m not joking.’

Ben laughed at her and then kissed her again. She responded immediately. He already knew that he would never get bored of her kisses.

The next time they pulled out of a kiss to take a breath, he finally asked her out.

‘I’ll be very happy to go on a proper date with you. Of course, tomorrow’s wedding doesn’t count.’

‘Crap, and I thought that I have music and food already sorted out.’


End file.
